Free Web NovelChapter 236: Chapter 236: "Li Yan, Where Is Your Brain!
Ming Lingyi had been so busy lately that Li Yun had missed her on several occasions.
So, on a day of rest for the court when there was no morning session, Li Yun rushed over from the palace to the eatery first thing in the morning, bringing his little tail, Li Yan, along with him.
After all, the boy wanted to see his mother, and he couldn’t very well stop him.
Unexpectedly, just as Li Yun arrived at the eatery’s entrance, he saw Ming Lingyi preparing to head out.
Seeing this, Li Yun’s brow furrowed. He strode over, grabbed Ming Lingyi’s wrist, and pulled her into the private residence next door.
The servants attending to the residence were all from the palace, and every one of them was exceptionally perceptive. Upon seeing the Emperor pull Ming Lingyi inside, everyone in the courtyard vanished completely, not a single person staying behind to get in the way.
"Didn’t you already hand the eatery over to the Store Manager? Why are you still so busy? Going out again? Where are you off to?"
Li Yun, for his part, wanted to have people watching Ming Lingyi at all times. He had even arranged for a few people to work at the eatery, ostensibly to help out and ensure her safety, but it was also a way to have a few pairs of eyes on her.
But the last time he had sent Hidden Guards to her, Ming Lingyi had sent them back shortly after. He knew she disliked having his people following her, feeling as if she were under surveillance. So he had been willing to slowly let go, allowing their relationship to revert to how it was when they were newly married.
After all, in Li Yun’s eyes, things between him and Ming Lingyi had been truly wonderful back then.
He was trying his best to emulate his former self, hoping not to inadvertently do something that would make Ming Lingyi want to avoid him again.
However, Li Yun was starting to regret that now.
He didn’t even know what Ming Lingyi was busy with all day, and this elusive, ungraspable feeling made him deeply uneasy.
When Ming Lingyi heard Li Yun’s words, she almost laughed.
And when she saw the man before her grow flustered and exasperated by her smile, Ming Lingyi found it even harder to contain her amusement.
"I was actually planning to see you today," Ming Lingyi said, looking Li Yun in the eye.
Li Yun: "?"
’Why did that sound so hard to believe?’
’Ming Lingyi was looking for me? Voluntarily?’
The news was like an unexpected windfall, almost knocking him senseless.
"You were looking for me... what for?" Li Yun’s voice was hoarse as he asked. His gaze, however, never left Ming Lingyi’s face as he spoke, catching every minute change in her expression.
He was afraid it was a lie, that his joy would be for naught.
Ming Lingyi shook her wrist where Li Yun had just gripped it, then found a stool in the courtyard and sat down. "Isn’t it a day of rest today? I figured you wouldn’t be busy, so I was planning to go to the palace to see you and Little Huachao."
’Of course, saying she was going to see Li Yun was just a flimsy excuse. What was so interesting about a grown man? Hadn’t she already been looking at him for so many years?’
’Compared to the man, she was, of course, much more interested in seeing her Little Bun.’
However, Ming Lingyi remembered that she did have something she needed to go to the palace to discuss with Li Yun, so it could, just barely, be considered a visit to see him. With that thought, her expression became perfectly self-assured, showing not a hint of guilt.
Seeing her expression, Li Yun’s heart leaped with joy.
’In all the time since he and Ming Lingyi had reunited, when had she ever thought of coming to the palace to see him voluntarily?’
’For her to say it so openly now... she must have a place for me in her heart.’
Joy filled Li Yun’s eyes. Just as he was about to take a step forward to do something, a loud "BANG! BANG!" suddenly echoed from the door.
"Let me in, let me in! Waaah, let me in!"
The voice was still tinged with a childish, milky tone.
The moment Li Yun heard it, his expression darkened.
’Sometimes, you just can’t spoil your son too much.’
’For example, when your son wants to see his mother, you can just let him miss her from afar.’
’It’s much better than having this clueless, troublesome son show up now and ruin my good moment!’
But when Ming Lingyi heard Li Yan’s voice, her reaction and mood were completely different from Li Yun’s.
She shot up from her seat almost instantly, crossed to the entrance in a few quick strides, and opened the courtyard gate.
Li Yan had come with his own father, but it was as if his father couldn’t even see him. The moment he laid eyes on his mother, he completely forgot his son’s existence. Li Yan could only watch helplessly as his Father Emperor pulled his mother into the neighboring residence, leaving him shut outside before he had even gotten out of the carriage.
Scrambling on his short little legs, Li Yan eagerly jumped down from the carriage and rushed to the door to knock.
He had actually been prepared to be ignored by his Father Emperor again, but to his surprise, the one who opened the door was his mother.
Li Yan threw his arms wide open and unceremoniously hugged Ming Lingyi.
He craned his neck, trying to press his exceptionally chubby cheek against Ming Lingyi.
"Mother! D-Did Father... did he hit you?" Li Yan whispered.
At least, that was what he probably considered a whisper.
After all, Li Yun, who was standing behind the mother and son, had clearly heard the ridiculous thing his son had just said. His eyes grew sharp as he looked at Li Yan, still nestled in Ming Lingyi’s arms.
He was truly filled with regret.
’He regretted bringing this little burden along!’
Before Ming Lingyi could answer, Li Yun scoffed, "Li Yan, is this what the Grand Tutor usually teaches you? Where are your manners? Where is your education? Where is your brain!"
It was probably only that last question that Li Yun truly wanted to ask.
’Where was Li Yan’s brain?’
’How could he possibly lay a hand on Ming Lingyi?’
Li Yun was in a very foul mood.
Now in his mother’s arms, Li Yan poked his head out upon hearing this. His large, dark eyes, as if soaked in well water, stared blankly at his father. "Father, I am just concerned about Mother."
Li Yun: "..."
’Showing concern for his mother by slandering his own father?’
’Was his son really so good at making himself look good by putting his own father down?’
Listening to the exchange between the father and son, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but laugh. She unhesitatingly sided with Li Yan, turning to Li Yun to say, "Who was it that dragged me over here without a word just now? In our Huazhao’s eyes, of course you’re the one being unreasonable."
Li Yun: "..."
He could still act imposing toward his son, but when it came to Ming Lingyi, he could only beat a hasty retreat.
"Go on, keep spoiling him," Li Yun said.
He clearly muttered the words, so much so that Ming Lingyi didn’t even hear him clearly.
"What did you say?" Ming Lingyi asked.
Li Yun: "Nothing."
Li Yan: "Father Emperor is just jealous."
Li Yun: "..."
’This kid is really asking for a spanking!’
’This was beyond just raising the roof; this little brat was trying to stage a rebellion!’
